


Scandal

by katling



Series: Tony Stark Bingo 2019 [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Civil War Team Iron Man, Fluff, I snuck in a mention of Deadpool there at the end, M/M, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Tony Stark has no time for your crap, it ends in fluff, just for fun, moderated due to recent troll activity, no idea why, not team Cap friendly, that wasn't in the original plan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-28 21:11:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17794829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katling/pseuds/katling
Summary: Tony knows the return of the Rogues is going to cause a scandal, no matter what the President's polling data says, however James decides that they'll counter a scandal with a bigger, better, more shiny scandal. Tony approves.Written for the Tony Stark Bingo 2019 - Square T4: Past Tense





	Scandal

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how this ended up as fluffy as it did. Apparently my brain was in no mood to be completely grim and sombre today.

“But, Mr Stark, they’re your teammates!”

Tony snorted and eyed the government official – he couldn’t remember the man’s name or which department he was from – dubiously.

“ _Were_ my teammates,” he said pointedly. “Past tense. They are not _currently_ my teammates nor are they likely to be so again in the near… or let’s face it, even the distant… future. The Avengers have an actual chain of command, a charter, rules and procedures these days and I can tell you right now, Rogers and his band of merry morons will not pass the entrance requirements for the Avengers.”

“But…” the man said with a worried look.

“Look, I understand that you’re just the messenger and I certainly have no intention of shooting you, metaphorically or literally, but you can tell whoever sent you here that the answer is no.” He stood and buttoned his jacket before gesturing towards the door. “Now, I’m sorry but your time is up and I have a meeting that I can’t be late for.”

He ushered the man to the door and out into the experienced hands of his secretary. He shook his head as he headed in the opposite direction and got into the lift that would take him upstairs. He leaned back against the wall and let out a heavy sigh.

“How many more meetings along those lines are in my schedule, FRI?”

“Two more, boss,” the AI said with open sympathy. “One with a representative from the Department of Homeland Security and one with a Deputy Director from the FBI.”

Tony frowned. “FBI?” He shook his head. “Ugh. Whatever.”

“Want me to cancel them, boss?”

Tony considered the pros and cons then shook his head. “Nah, let them stand but don’t accept any more meetings on the subject.” His eyes narrowed. “In fact, anyone from the government has to provide a written agenda in advance when they make the appointment and I reserve the right to decline said agenda or walk out if they divert from it for any reason.”

“Got it, boss,” FRIDAY said, sounding amused.

The doors to the lift opened and Tony walked out into his apartment, already discarding suit jacket and tie onto the nearest flat surface.

“How was your meeting?”

Tony smiled slightly as he looked at the super soldier sitting on his couch. The return of Sergeant James ‘Bucky’ Barnes had been the least contentious of all of them, given the information that Tony had dug up – from the SHIELD data dump, ironically enough – about what had been done to him by HYDRA. It had certainly been helpful to Tony to find and read all of that hideous information. As former weapons manufacturer, he was well versed in separating the actions of the user from the neutrality of the weapon. It hadn’t been difficult to look at Barnes in the same light.

Which had made bringing him back when Shuri had admitted defeat in regards to the triggers in his mind an easy decision. Just him, though. Tony still had no time or care for his former teammates and from what Shuri told him, they took great offense to that. Tony couldn’t care less. 

Forgiving Barnes for his parents had been surprisingly easy. Barnes had been the weapon, not the one wielding it or the one who had issued the orders. Unlike a certain witch, Tony understood the difference. So with that differentiation made in his mind, Tony didn’t really have any other history with Barnes. (Other than a teenage crush but that had been neither here nor there at the time.) 

Forgiving Barnes for attacking him Siberia had also been easy once he’d seen the brain scans Shuri had sent him. As it turned out, beyond their brainwashing effect, using the trigger words caused actual physical damage to Barnes’ brain. No one was quite sure how but the scans were very clear. The serum healed the damage, given time, but it certainly explained Barnes’ spotty memory and his ‘spaced out’ behaviour after Berlin.

So he’d been able to forgive Barnes and his own apology for trying to beat the shit out of Barnes in Siberia had been accepted. Barnes actually didn’t think he needed an apology for that since he thought Tony’s reaction was entirely justified and he and Rogers had been the ones in the wrong. But that was another thing that was neither here nor there now. All that was important was that he and Barnes had mutually agreed to start off on a new page and get to know each other.

Which had led to a friendship and then, much to Tony’s surprise, something more. Hence Barnes sitting on his couch right now. Not that he was ‘Barnes’ anymore. Or even Bucky. Now it was James. Or when James was feeling a little more Russian than Brooklyn, Yasha. Or any one of Tony’s myriad of winter related nicknames, which James found hilarious.

“Boring but thankfully short,” Tony said, dropping down on the couch next to James. He smiled when James immediately wrapped a warm, strong arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. James liked his clinginess and tendency to snuggle and encouraged it at every opportunity. Tony felt positively spoiled rotten. “I said no.”

James nodded. “I still don’t understand what a US pardon is going to do. None of ‘em except for Barton and Maximoff actually broke any laws.”

“It’s the aesthetic,” Tony said dryly, drawing a chuckle from James. “Besides, Rogers and Romanov are both facing charges of obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting a terrorist agency the moment they step foot on American soil.”

“But the pardon won’t cover that,” James said. “So I still don’t see the point.”

“The President thinks it’ll be good for re-election.” Tony snorted. “I don’t think much of his people’s polling data if that’s the conclusion they’ve come to. Every poll I’ve seen from official ones down to polls on Buzzfeed and Twitter are all negative towards the rogues.”

“Think it’ll actually happen?”

Tony snuggled a bit closer to James and smiled softly when he was pulled into the other man’s lap. “Maybe. I’d say it’s closer to a yes now than a no. I have two more meetings on the subject next week.”

James grimaced and nuzzled into Tony’s hair. “What are we going to do?”

“if it happens?” James nodded and Tony sighed. “If it happens, the Avengers make a formal statement welcoming the rogues to make a formal application for entry, which we all know they’ll fail, but we have to look bipartisan and fair. Stark Industries will make an official statement reiterating our stance regarding funding and equipment. As for us…”

James pressed a kiss into his hair then leaned back just a little. He dug into his pocket then pulled out a small box. “I reckon we make an announcement that’ll put the rogues on an inside page.”

He flipped open the box one-handed in a move he’d clearly practised and Tony stared at the contents. The ring was simple but very beautiful. The metal was… familiar and Tony was almost certain it had been made from one of the plates of James’ Wakandan-made Vibranium arm. James had damaged a plate in their last battle, much to both Tony and Shuri’s astonishment. They hadn’t thought the weird gelatinous blob thing had the ability to do that. Tony was willing to bet James had asked Shuri to repurpose the vibranium plate into the ring and it has been inset with a single ruby and a diamond so pure white as to be almost blinding that had been cut into a snowflake shape. Tony couldn’t help the smile at the suggestion of his favourite nickname for James.

“Are you sure?” he said, low and soft. “Most people wouldn’t consider me appropriate husband material. Hell, most of the time _I_ don’t think I’m appropriate husband material.”

“You’re perfect,” James said, kissing his cheek. “As Wade put it, your crazy matches my crazy.”

Tony chuckled and, after another moment of hesitation, he reached out and plucked the ring out of the box. He slid it onto his finger and grinned. “I love causing a scandal.”

“Pretty sure marrying someone is supposed to stop a scandal, doll,” James said, looking smug and happy. “Leastways that was how it was back in my day.”

Tony snorted. “You’re you and I’m me. This will be a scandal, no matter what.”

“Better scandal than the President pardoning the rogues?”

Tony tilted his head in thought. “Who knows and who cares? It’s our scandal and that’s all that matters.”


End file.
